Glass-washing device

ABSTRACT

An automatic glass-washing machine including a pressureresponsive spray bar positioned to direct liquid detergent upwardly within an enclosed hood, a liquid detergent system for supplying detergent under pressure to the spray bar, a freshwater system for supplying rinse water under pressure to the spray bar, a sanitizer system for supplying sanitizer to the fresh-water system, a timer to actuate the systems in a timed sequence and a float actuated valve to recirculate the liquid detergent and to direct the rinse water to an overflow or drain line.

[72] Inventor Vito D'Angelo West Allis, Wis.

[2]] Appl. No 814,511

[22] Filed Mar. 28, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 16, 1971 73] AssigneeVito-Bil, Inc.

West Allis, Wis.

Continuation-impart oi application Ser. No. 610,567, Jan. 20, 1967, nowabandoned. This application Mar. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 814,51 1

[54] GLASS-WASHING DEVICE 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 134/56, 134/96 [51] llnt.C1 A471 15/46 [50] Field Search.134/56. 57. 95. 96. 98. 103

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,675,192 H1928 Murdoch134/96 UX 1,741,329 12/1929 Montgomery 134/96 UX 2.025.592 12/1935 Kelly134/96 2.279.691 4/1942 Long et a1 134/96 UX Primary Examiner-James R.Boler AIIOI'HP)'S- Ronald E. Barry and James E. Nilles ABSTRACT: Anautomatic glass-washing machine including a pressure-responsive spraybar positioned to direct liquid detergent upwardly within an enclosedhood. :1 liquid detergent system for supplying detergent under pressureto the spray bar. a fresh-water system for supplying rinse water underpressure to the spray bar. a sanitizer system for supplying sanitizer tothe fresh-water system. a timer to actuate the systems in a timedsequence and a float actuated valve to recirculate the liquid detergentand to direct the rinse water to an overflow or drain line.

PATENTEUwuv 16 I97! 3,620,232 SHEU 10F 2 ll 1/ 1/ III I I f I I l munINVENTOR.

VITO E. D'ANGELO RONALD E. BARRY Attorney PATENTEDun'v 16 I971 SHEEI 20F 2 MM, @441 MW t M GLASS-WASHING DEVICE RELATED APPLICATION Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part application of my copendingapplication, Ser. No. 610,567, filed Jan. 20, I967, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The number of glasses used in a restaurantor any other public eating or drinking establishment is considerable.Civic laws require that each glass be completely cleaned after each use,requiring elaborate equipment in order to maintain this standard ofcleanliness. Extra help is often required to comply with thisrequirement as well as to operate and maintain the equipment used forthis purpose. Present systems require that the operator dip his handsinto the detergent each time a glass is to be washed. If the detergentis too strong, it will burn his hands and if to weak, it will not cleanthe glasses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The automatic glass-washing machine of thisinvention includes a rack having a number of cross braces spaced atintervals for supporting a number of glasses. The rack is placed withina housing or hood that is closed during the washing operation. Arotary-type pressure-responsive sprayer is positioned beneath the rackand has a number of tubular spray bars projecting outward therefrom.Each spray bar has a number of angularly offset slots in its uppersurface to direct a spray of water upward as the sprayer is rotated.Liquid detergent and fresh water are selectively connected to the spraybar with the pressure of the detergent and water being used to rotatethe spray bar. The detergent and water will be forced upward into thebottom of the glasses and throughout the hood with considerable force sothat the entire surface of the glass is first washed and the rinsed. Anautomatic float-actuated valve recirculates the liquid detergent to aliquid detergent reservoir and discharges rinse water to an overflowline. A sanitizer is automatically added to the rinse water.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing detailed description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a front view in section showing the spray bar beneath aremovable glass rack.

FIG. 2 is a top view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the spray bar.

FIG. 3 is an end view in section showing the improved glasswashingsystem.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the spray bars.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the detergent and fresh-water systems foran alternate form of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4 ofthe drawings, the improved glass washing device includes a frame havinga lower shelf 12 and an upper shelf 14 secured to supporting legs I6. Apump I8 is mounted on the lower shelf and is connected to and driven bya motor also secured to the lower shelf. A pair of reservoirs 24 and 26are mounted on the lower shelf with outlet pipes 21 and 23,respectively, connected to a common valve header that is connected tothe inlet 27 by the pump by line 22.

From the pump 18 the water is forced through line 28 to apressure-responsive spinning-type hub 30 mounted on the end of pipe 28.Sprayer arms 32 and 34 extend outward from the hub 30. Each sprayer armis provided with a number of slots 36 which are equally spaced along thelength of the bar. The slots are offset at approximately a angle toprovide a better distribution of the water under the hood. The fan-typespray of water from each slot will overlap the adjacent spray of waterproviding a continuous screen of water across the length of the spraybar. It should be noted that with the hub rotating the spray of waterfrom each slot will form a continuous screen of water acrosssubstantially the full length of the spray bar.

A sidewall 40 is formed around the outside edge of the upper shelf 114to form a drain pan, and a seal 41 is used to seal the hole around pipe26. A drain line 60 is connected to a return valve header 64 where thereturn water can be directed either through line 66 to reservoir 24 orline 68 to reservoir 26. A manual control handle 62 extends outward fromthe side of the frame to control the position of valve header 64. Amechanical link 70 is connected between the return valve header and thesupply header 25 to synchronize the position of the valves. Rinse waterwill then be returned to the proper reservoir at the same time thatrinse water is being pumped from the same reservoir. when the valves arechanged over, wash water will be returned to the reservoir when washwater is being pumped out to the spray bars.

A removable glass rack 42 having longitudinal members 44 andcrossmembers 46 is supported on brackets 50 located on shelf 14immediately above the sprayer bar. A stationary arcuate hood 52 is usedto cover approximately l00 of the area over the top of the rack and asecond movable arcuate hood 54 is pivotally mounted on pins 56 forrotary motion inside of hood 52. A handle 51 on the front of hood 54 isused to raise and lower the hood.

In operation, glasses are placed on the rack and the rack positioned onthe brackets 50. Hood 54 is rotated down to enclose the upper portion ofthe frame above the drain pan. A cold water wash or rinse, depending onthe position of the valve headers 25 an 64 is sprayed from thereservoirs through pump 18 and line 28 to the sprayer bar hub 30. Thecold water spray is returned through line 60 through valve 64 and line66 to reservoir 24. After the cycle is completed, handle 62 is rotatedto its alternate position to pump wash water through line 23 to thespray bars and then returned through line 68 to the other reservoir 26.After the wash and rinse cycles are completed the pump is turned off andthe hood 54 is rotated into the hood 52. The rack is then removed andanother rack can be placed within the hood.

It is also possible with the present invention to attach the valvecontrol arm 62 to a timer that can be set to open the wash water valveand slow the pump for a predetermined time cycle. The timer would thenshut the pump down for a predetermined time while the pan drains. Thevalves would then be reversed and the pump restarted for the next cycle.

If it becomes necessary because of sanitation requirements, a separatepump could be used for the rinse water with the original pump being usedfor the wash water only. Also. where the rinse water cannon be recycled,line 60 can be connected to an overflow or discharge line and freshwater supplied continually to the rinse water reservoir.

Referring to FIG. 5 another embodiment of the glass-washing machine isshown which includes a drain pan 70 supported on a counter or frame 71and enclosed by means of a hood 73 having a pivotally openable door 75.Water is sprayed upwardly from the drain pan 70 by means of a spray bar72 substantially as described previously mounted for rotation on a pipe77 centrally positioned within the drain pan 70. A number of glasses 74are supported within the hood by means of a rinse basket 76. Aliquid-detergent-recirculating system 78 and a rinse-water-overflowsystem 80 are positioned beneath the drain pan 70 and connected to apipe 94 for circulating liquid detergent and rinse water, respectively,to the spray bar 72. The liquid detergent and rinse water collected inthe drain pan 70 are automatically separated and directed back to thedetergent system or to an overflow tank 79 by means of a float-operatedcontrol valve 86.

More specifically, the liquid-detergent system 78 includes a reservoir88 connected to a pump 90 by a pipe or conduit 92 and to the pipe 77 forthe spray bar 72 by the pipe or conduit 94. The pump 90 is driven bymeans of a motor 96 to pump liquid detergent to the spray bar 72. Thepump 96 is controlled by means of a timer 84 to operate at certainperiods in a timed sequence. The liquid detergent collected in the drainpan 70 is drained by means of an outlet pipe 95.

The liquid detergent collected in the drain pan 70 is recirculated tothe reservoir 88 by means of the float operated control valve 86 whichincludes a float 98 positioned in the liquid detergent reservoir 88 andconnected to a valve plate 100 mounted for pivotal movement below thedrain pipe 95 by means of a fixed bracket and a pin 102. As liquiddetergent is withdrawn from the reservoir 88, the float 98 will movedownward in the reservoir 88 pivoting the valve plate 100counterclockwise to direct liquid detergent draining out of the drainpan back into the reservoir 88. Liquid detergent collected in the drainpan 70 will recirculate back to the reservoir until the float 98 risesfar enough to pivot the valve plate 100 clockwise directing the liquidinto reservoir 79 which is connected to discharge line 104. A checkvalve 106 is provided in line 94 to prevent reverse flow of liquiddetergent or water into the pump 90.

The freshwater system 80 includes a freshwater pipe 105 connected to theconduit 94 above the check valve 106. The flow of rinse or fresh waterthrough the pipe 105 is controlled by means of a solenoid valve 108provided in the conduit and connected to the timer 84 to allow freshwater to flow to the spray bar 72 during different portions of the timecycle. Fresh water delivered to the spray bar 72 will also drain out ofthe drain pan 70 through the drain pipe 95. The rinse water will bedirected by the valve plate 100 to the overflow pipe 104.

Means are provided in the fresh-water system for adding a sanitizer inthe form ofa pump 110 connected by a pipe 114 to a container 112 for asanitizer and to the fresh-water line 105 by a pipe 116. The feeder pump110 is connected to the timer 84 for operation during the same portionof the time cycle as the solenoid valve 108. A venturi can be used inplace of the pump 110 to draw sanitizer into the cold water line 105. Avacuum breaker 120 should be provided in the fresh water line to preventthe backflow of liquid detergent through the fresh water line.

The timer 84 is a conventional item connected to the motor 92 by lines85 and to the solenoid valve 108 and feeder pump by lines 87. Thepreferred time cycle for operating this system and to comply with mostsanitation laws would be a 2- minute wash cycle and a half-minute rinsecycle with a short pause between cycles to allow the detergent to returnto the reservoir 88. in areas where a complete wash and rinse cycle isrequired, a solenoid actuated latch can be provided to lock the hoodclosed until the cycle is completed.

Although only two embodiments of the present invention has been shownand described, it should be apparent that various changes can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A glass-washing apparatus comprising a drain pan including a drainpipe,

a rack for supporting a number of glasses in said pan a hood forenclosing said pan and rack,

a self-propelling spray bar having angularly offset spray slots forspraying water upwardly from said drain pan,

a liquid-detergent system connected to said sprayer means and includinga reservoir positioned below said drain P P a fresh-water systemconnected to said spray bar,

means for operating said liquid-detergent system and said fresh-watersystem in a timed sequence,

a valve plate pivotally connected to said drain pipe and a floatconnected to said valve plate and positioned in said reservoir toautomatically recirculate the liquid detergent to said liquid detergentreservoir and to pivot said valve plate and discharge rinse water whensaid reservoir is full.

2. A glass-washing apparatus according to claim 4 including a sanitizersystem connected to said fresh-water system and to said operating meansto operate simultaneously with said fresh-water system.

t l I. 1U Q

1. A glass-washing apparatus comprising a drain pan including a drainpipe, a rack for supporting a number of glasses in said pan a hood forenclosing said pan and rack, a self-propelling spray bar havingangularly offset spray slots for spraying water upwardly from said drainpan, a liquid-detergent system connected to said sprayer means andincluding a reservoir positioned below said drain pipe, a fresh-watersystem connected to said spray bar, means for operating saidliquid-detergent system and said freshwater system in a timed sequence,a valve plate pivotally connected to said drain pipe and a floatconnected to said valve plate and positioned in said reservoir toautomatically recirculate the liquid detergent to said liquid detergentreservoir and to pivot said valve plate and discharge rinse water whensaid reservoir is full.
 2. A glass-washing apparatus according to claim4 including a sanitizer system connected to said fresh-water system andto said operating means to operate simultaneously with said fresh-watersystem.